Pucchiac

By the year 2020 Europe will be up to 75 % dependent on Russia for oil and gas. Imagine what a warm glow this prospect induces in the Kremlin.

History

On 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine (then officially Ukrainian SSR), which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive contamination into the atmosphere, which spread over much of Western USSR and Europe. It is widely considered to have been the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, and is one of only two classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale (the other being the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster). The battle to contain the contamination and avert a greater catastrophe ultimately involved over 500,000 workers and cost an estimated 18 billion rubles, crippling the Soviet economy. Plutonium was being used at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant for weapon purposes. Don't forget that this was in the height of the cold war. The Soviet Union would use it on any enemies who threatened communist existence in Russia. The Soviet Union began evacuation of Chernobyl and Prypiat 48 hours after the Plutonium began leaking into the city's atmosphere. Thousands died, and many more where to be affected by radiation many years after. Many consider this the worst nuclear disaster of all time.

My Conspiracy Theory

In 2002, Chernobyl began open for tours, until 2009 when it mysteriously was closed down. Just what are they doing there? Russia is paying £600m to repair the old power plant used to make Plutonium. Why would they need to rebuild something that has absolutely no use to them or Russia? Why would they waste so much money on a present day ghost town? As far as radioactivity, there has not been any problems in years. I think the Soviet Union could be trying to come back into power. Here are a few reasons why I think I am correct

• The U.S is currently in a reccesion, meaning now would be the best time to strike.• £600m is a very large amount of money. Why would they waste it on rebuilding that power plant?

Belgium bagel

I'm obliged to respond to this. They must be doing something with the plant if it closed tours mysteriously. If it we're to stay a museum of Relics than there would be nothing suspicious,but closing without a reason sounds a bit Off. Eh well only time will tell.

Irviding

I think that's a very far fetched assertion though your concept is very interesting and in my view, would make a great book. Anyway, the fact is the Russian economy is in horrible shape, their military couldnt win against the US, though they do have many warheads, their simply is no reason for them to attack nor to recreate the soviet union.

Pucchiac

@Bagel Closing it off would make it vacant. vacant for the government and the government only to be able to access it? Why would they want to be the only ones to access it? We must ask ourselves this, and hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Pucchiac

Why is Chernobel being closed relevant when everyone and their mother knows Russia has a massive nuclear arsenal?

Have you thought about where they could make those Nuclear weapons where no one else could go? That's right, Chernobyl. It probably has the highest radiation ever to exist on earth, so it's not like anyone but people who have access to high tech material could go there safely. For example, the Soviet Union.

Vincenzo Rosoto

I honestly don't think the "Soviet Union" will be coming back soon, its pretty much in the shadows(And still in the minds of the people). Why the government would be so interested in Chernobyl? They could be researching more on why it melted down. Russia's nuclear program is absolutely horrible. If you compared to the nuclear plants we have here and the nuclear plants over there, it seems like Russia is still stuck during the Soviet era. As suspicious as it may seem to most, they could be just researching more. If they decide to create nuclear weapons, why would they want to add more to the 13,500 they have already now?

Pucchiac

I honestly don't think the "Soviet Union" will be coming back soon, its pretty much in the shadows(And still in the minds of the people). Why the government would be so interested in Chernobyl? They could be researching more on why it melted down. Russia's nuclear program is absolutely horrible. If you compared to the nuclear plants we have here and the nuclear plants over there, it seems like Russia is still stuck during the Soviet era. As suspicious as it may seem to most, they could be just researching more. If they decide to create nuclear weapons, why would they want to add more to the 13,500 they have already now?

The whole reason they started the Chernobyl power plant was to experiment on biological weapons. What makes you think they are bringing it back for any purposes but?

I think that's a very far fetched assertion though your concept is very interesting and in my view, would make a great book. Anyway, the fact is the Russian economy is in horrible shape, their military couldnt win against the US, though they do have many warheads, their simply is no reason for them to attack nor to recreate the soviet union.

Plus it's largely technically and scientifically incorrect. Though I will leave it open and respond in greater length later

OchyGTA

The Russian Federation doesn't use that monetary unit. Isn't it more likely Euros, which will need to be converted.

But good concept, I think I saw a commercial for 'Chernobyl conspiracy' out there somewhere on youtube. But yeah, it sounds reasonable along with Putin's rise to power again.

The Russian currency is still Roubles.

On topic, you seem to be stating the Soviet Union as a separate faction from the current Russian government.

QUOTE

It probably has the highest radiation ever to exist on earth, so it's not like anyone but people who have access to high tech material could go there safely. For example, the Soviet Union.

Whilst some of the members of the old Politburo may still hold a lot of power in Russia, it is extremely unlikely that they have formed a "Soviet Union" type organisation that is carrying out top secret operations without Putin's knowledge. With regards to the Soviet Union reforming, this too is very, very, very unlikely as it would in no way benefit the Russian economy at the moment (Russia being one of the BRIC nations who experienced positive GDP growth throughout the recession/credit crunch era), the US would undoubtedly step in to prevent any expansion into Eastern Europe as would the Germans and quite frankly, the Russia people would probably reject the idea renderring a communist government useless as it is based on a proletariat revolution.

You can't take some shifty goings on at Chernobyl and Pripyat and say its evidence for the reformation of the USSR, a failed state.

Re-reading your initial post, your evidence makes no sense whatsoever. I wouldn't be surprised if they are renovating the area to make it safer for researchers and possible tourists in the future.

Vincenzo Rosoto

I honestly don't think the "Soviet Union" will be coming back soon, its pretty much in the shadows(And still in the minds of the people). Why the government would be so interested in Chernobyl? They could be researching more on why it melted down. Russia's nuclear program is absolutely horrible. If you compared to the nuclear plants we have here and the nuclear plants over there, it seems like Russia is still stuck during the Soviet era. As suspicious as it may seem to most, they could be just researching more. If they decide to create nuclear weapons, why would they want to add more to the 13,500 they have already now?

The whole reason they started the Chernobyl power plant was to experiment on biological weapons. What makes you think they are bringing it back for any purposes but?

No offense but when did they even say they were going to bring it back? The Russian Government has been involved even when it was a tourist destination. Scientists would venture into Chernobyl NPP to find the core that melted down, take some radiation information, making sure it was still contained or atleast subsided and finding the causes on why it melted down in the first place. Im sure they have already found out but maybe radiation levels have been rising for an unknown reason and they had to close it off due to health risks to the public. I just don't see it as a sign that the USSR is on its way being established again. Yes, they were using it for biological research but as I stated before, why would they need to add more nuclear weapons to their 11,500 (Atleast) stockpile? They currently have the U.S. beat since we only have 8,500. You can go on the United Nations website and find out how much each nuclear weapons are currently at hand.

I would like to make a number of points in relation to my earlier comment-

1) Chernobyl isn't in Russia. This is the biggest and most consistent overriding mistake I can see in this thesis. It's located on the Ukraine, and relations between Russia and the Ukraine have been very strained in recent years. As such, besides a scientific and technical presence, the actual Russian involvement in what's going on around the NPP is pretty negligible.

2) You could never tour anywhere close to the plant itself. Though thy ran guided tours of various bits of the Zone of Alienation, none of them were in any kind of proximity to the plant itself. And, to the best of my knowledge, they do still run tours around Prypiat and the Red Forest.

3) The figure you refer to appears to be the planned budget for "New Safe Containment"- that is, the replacement for the sarcophagus that is currently in preliminary stages of construction. It's being constructed by the Ukraine but is being bankrolled by Russia- largely because it's the Russian government who are deemed to be the responsible successor to the USSR.

4) The RBMK type reactors that operated at Chernobyl 1 through 4 are graphite-moderated light water reactors. They have little to no value for the production of materials for nuclear weapons programs. It's a conspiracy theory that Chernobyl was used for producing nuclear materials for the Soviet weapons programme, nothing more.

5) The principal pollutant at the Chernobyl site, Caesium-137, has a half-life of around 30 years. It's still very, very dangerous in most areas around the reactor. Hence why the sarcophagus replacement is so large and expensive- it's got to cover an extremely large area, not just the damaged reactor hall but also turbines, water pumps, storage buildings and all manner of other structures.

6) The US is not currently in recession. However, Russia is in serious economic difficulty.

Pucchiac

Now you see my point, why would they risk crippling Russia's economy even more? Something is being hidden to people, and I guarantee you they are not looking to give people 'tours'. No matter how much money it would raise..

Now you see my point, why would they risk crippling Russia's economy even more? Something is being hidden to people, and I guarantee you they are not looking to give people 'tours'. No matter how much money it would raise..

Now you see my point, why would they risk crippling Russia's economy even more? Something is being hidden to people, and I guarantee you they are not looking to give people 'tours'. No matter how much money it would raise..

If you think £600 million is enough to cripple the Russian economy then you have a very basic understanding of economics.

Pucchiac

I'm sorry man. To answer your question, money is money in my opinion. It's like throwing away a $20 bill that you saved up from a year ago. Same concept, price is almost irrelevant. It's the fact that they don't even need to spend any money or fix it in the first place.

MIDEVL

I'm sorry man. To answer your question, money is money in my opinion. It's like throwing away a $20 bill that you saved up from a year ago. Same concept, price is almost irrelevant. It's the fact that they don't even need to spend any money or fix it in the first place.

True, but to them they have like at least 12 digit economies/funds... So 18 million rubles is about 500,000 Euros... And in my opinion that's like a person throwing away a penny to them... But on a much larger scale...

I'm sorry man. To answer your question, money is money in my opinion. It's like throwing away a $20 bill that you saved up from a year ago. Same concept, price is almost irrelevant. It's the fact that they don't even need to spend any money or fix it in the first place.

True, but to them they have like at least 12 digit economies/funds... So 18 million rubles is about 500,000 Euros... And in my opinion that's like a person throwing away a penny to them... But on a much larger scale...

I wouldn't put it past them, but I doubt it... Good theory though.

Thanks for your input. I was just throwing my views out there, I mean why the f*ck would you waste money for something that you don't need to waste it on? That was my question..

Now you see my point, why would they risk crippling Russia's economy even more? Something is being hidden to people, and I guarantee you they are not looking to give people 'tours'. No matter how much money it would raise..

Quite simply because they have a legal obligation to clean up the mess that they made at Chernobyl. The plant was operated under the direct sanction of the Soviet politburo, the modern successor of which is Russia. Ergo, the disaster and it's clean up are legally the responsibility of Russia.

Also, as I've already said, they never gave tours in the immediate vicinity of the plant (there are hot-spots of radiation that would kill you in minutes), the tours that were given (around Prypiat ect) haven't actually stopped to the best of my knowledge, and yet again I must make clear that Chernobyl is in the Ukraine, not Russia.